I have EQ6 and 7..plus Block Base and 2 others that are EQ products.
I have played more with 6 than 7 only because of the time frame of when I got it and the circumstances that were happening here at home..
I haven't done much with it since then.

I too use EQ7. I started with EQ6 and upgraded when 7 came out. I really love being able to scan in my own fabrics and see what the quilt will actually look like. And I love the fact that you can get it to print out the yardage needed for each of the fabrics you include in your design. I design most of the quilts I make using EQ7, sometimes starting from a basic pattern, then changing it, but often completely from my own brain.

I have EQ7. I use it a lot to design. Haven't made a lot of those quilts yet, but I am designing quilts from my huge stash, and it gives me hope that some day I will use all that fabric! HA HA!

Thank you so much for the sites. I'll check them out. Otherwise, maybe Santa will bring it, if I am good enough.

i agree. Hate it and do not think it is user friendly. There is so much to remember. I have had mine 10 years and never use it. I was sure i would love it. I ran out of patience with it about a month after purchase.

Got it, love it. Does have a learning curve but well worth the effort. I, too, had a design in mind and let the tutorial walk me through it. Printouts are precise. For anyone interested but concerned about the price, it will allow more than one license when you buy the software. If you know someone who would split the cost, makes it very affordable. Totally legal.

Love EQ! I've used it since version 3 and upgrade each time one comes out! It's like anything else, if you invest the time to learn you will succeed. Imagine piecing and not practicing... same thing, you get out of it what you put in. But that being said, if you don't enjoy the design process then you are better off with patterns or magazines. Just another tool some of us like to use.

I have EQ6 also... and love it... designed my avitar with it which is for my oldest son... and also created an maltese cross one for my youngest son... love the option of scanning in materials and putting them into the quilt blocks.. Working on one now... for baby.. Just haven't figured out how to put a panel in ... so just block out the number of squares needed for it.... I would like to upgrade to the EQ7 and take some classes...

You could do it as a Medallion quilt but I prefer to set the quilt layout to 1x1 block with the block the same dimensions as the panel.
Then I make the rest of the quilt top by adding borders - sometimes just the sides, sometimes just the top/bottom - whatever I need/want to fill it up.


Like here:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-160756-1.htm#4471775
Scroll down for the EQ drawing.
You can see the sketch the op made at the top of the thread.

EQ7 is the best thing out if you want to design your own quilts, but not if you prefer to follow other people's instructions. It takes a bit of time to get your head around it, but I love it!